www.sojihuggles.org

The mission of Sojihuggles Children’s Foundation is to provide underprivileged children under the age of 19 with the basic necessities in life so they may grow, thrive, experience a sense of purpose, and contribute to society. To that end, Sojihuggles works with school nurses, instructional coaches, guidance counselors, and state aid offices to identify the needs of children at their schools or in state programs. Managed entirely by volunteers, Sojihuggles provides no salaries or stipends to anyone working in or with the organization. One hundred percent of proceeds go to directly supporting children in need, providing them with:

• Clothing, including diapers and toiletries as well as coats, sneakers, shoes, and everything in between
• School lunches: The organization is committed to providing a minimum of 10,000 free, nutritional school lunches a year for those whose families cannot afford them.
• Free EpiPens for children with life-threatening allergies
• Free hearing exams and hearing aids
• Free vision exams and eyeglasses

While Sojihuggles’ mandate is to provide basic necessities, the organization is very fortunate in that its volunteers choose to create memories for children by gifting the following items, in the name of Sojihuggles, to local food pantries and shelters upon request:

• Birthday Bags – complete with everything needed for a small birthday party including cake mix, icing, baking pan, card, balloons, party hat, and blowers
• Holiday Items — Valentine’s Day cookies, Easter baskets, Christmas stockings, and holiday gifts